Bañuelo – The Arab Baths of Granada

Granada is a city filled with very visible magnificence. The Alhambra above all dominates the city’s skyline, and visitors’ eyes are constantly attracted to it. The Sacromonte Abbey sits on the Valparaiso hill, another tall attraction. However, the oldest Muslim construction in the city is not as apparent as the marvels on the hills.

Located in the old Moorish town center of Albayzín, now a popular district for strolling or trying to get lost in the labyrinth of medieval streets, are the hidden Arab baths. Known in Spanish as the Bañuelo, the Arab baths are hard to find if the visitor doesn’t know what they’re looking for. Tucked away, the Arab baths can be accessed by a small house just at the base of the Alhambra.

Also known as Aammim Alyawza, or bath of the Nogal, in Arabic, the Arab baths represent not only the oldest Muslim construction in Granada, but they are also the oldest and best-preserved Arab baths in all of Spain.

The baths were given recognition and proclaimed a national monument in 1918. They were constructed sometime in the early half of the 11th century, several centuries after the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The baths are particularly large. In fact they’re some of the largest in the country. The intricate architecture demonstrates the skillful abilities of the Spanish Muslims responsible for creating them.

Today the Arab bath is very well-preserved. When the Christian monarchs retook the whole of continental Spain, they destroyed many of the baths left behind by the fleeing Moors, since they considered the baths to be like brothels. The treaty that saw the fall of the Islamic Kingdom of Granada would guarantee the remaining Muslims protection from persecution, but their buildings in many cases were not shown the same tolerance.

Thanks to the private home that sits at the site of the baths, built probably around the time of the Reconquista, the baths have been spared destruction. Visitors enter to a very large complex of adjoining rooms supported by arched pillars, with distinct Arab porticos indenting the walls.

Visitors should look for the private house in Carrera del Darro, the road that runs along the river at the foot of the Alhambra.